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Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
| VBA's Positive News |
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World's largest protected wetland area established in Bolivia
Canada is the result of a long, largely peaceful evolution that saw it transform from a colony to a dominion and, eventually, the strong and vibrant nation the world knows today. And as Canada's 150th birthday approaches, leading historian and author Margaret MacMillan believes this should be celebrated.
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Australia gets first Aboriginal government leader
Australia has its first Aboriginal leader of a provincial government, in a development welcomed by the Prime Minister as a historic moment for the nation's impoverished indigenous population. Adam Giles was sworn in Wednesday as government head of the Northern Territory, one of two Australian mainland territories which are largely treated as equals to the six states.
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Strong signs Higgs boson has been found - CERN
Physicists who last summer triumphantly announced the discovery of a new particle but held back from saying what it was, declared on Thursday there was now little doubt it was the long-sought Higgs boson. Latest analysis of data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator, where the boson was spotted as a bump on a graph early in 2012, 'strongly indicates' it is the Higgs, said CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
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Geneva, Switzerland: Physicists say they have found a Higgs boson
The search is all but over for a subatomic particle that is a crucial building block of the universe. Physicists announced Thursday they believe they have discovered the subatomic particle predicted nearly a half-century ago, which will go a long way toward explaining what gives electrons and all matter in the universe size and shape. The elusive particle, called a Higgs boson, was predicted in 1964 to help fill in our understanding of the creation of the universe, which many theorize occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang. The particle was named for Peter Higgs, one of the physicists who proposed its existence, but it later became popularly known as the 'God particle'.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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China appoints Li Keqiang as new Premier
China’s Communist Party on Friday moved towards concluding its leadership transition with the expected appointment of second-ranked Politburo Standing Committee member Li Keqiang as the country’s next Premier.
Mr. Li (57), who was anointed as the successor of outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao five years ago, will take over the reins of the world’s second-largest economy as the head of the State Council, or Cabinet, which sets economic policies.
The new Premier is seen in China as the protégé of former President Hu Jintao, who stepped down on Thursday. The new CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping, appointed as the head of the party and military last year, was formally selected as Mr. Hu's replacement on Thursday by the National People’s Congress (NPC), or Parliament. Mr. Li rose through party ranks in the Communist Youth League, where Mr. Hu has his power base.
Mr. Li was selected at an elaborate "voting" session here on Friday morning, by the NPC’s 3,000 or so delegates who cast their ballot in a “one candidate election” – while delegates were only allowed to vote no or abstain, they could not back another candidate in the selection process. The close to 3,000 members of the NPC, seen as a largely rubber-stamp Parliament that follows the Party’s lead, only cast three no votes against Mr. Li.
Mr. Li is one of few top party leaders with a law degree — unique in a leadership largely dominated by engineers — and he also speaks fluent English.
He graduated from the elite Peking University during the political upheaval of the 1980s, when the school was a centre of liberal activism. Many of Mr. Li’s friends became student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
Mr. Li, despite his close links to outgoing leader Hu Jintao, is seen by Chinese analysts as having a good equation with new leader Xi Jinping, raising expectations that the new administration will be able to be more effective than the previous leadership in bringing about a consensus in the party for bolder reform measures.
Moves to make “government smaller” by dissolving two Cabinet-level ministries, including the once powerful Ministry of Railways, with an aim to increase efficiency were approved by the NPC on Thursday, and seen by Chinese analysts as a sign of intent from the new leadership that they were prepared to take difficult measures.
In recent public appearances, Mr. Li has made out a strong case for reforms. He told a conference in December, “Reform is like rowing upstream. Failing to advance means falling back. Those who refuse to (make) reform may not make mistakes, but they will be blamed for not assuming their historical responsibility”.
Wen Jiabao steps down
Mr. Li’s appointment brings an end to Wen Jiabao’s decade-long term. Mr. Wen was seen, during his term, as a rare figure among China’s top leadership who cultivated an image of a populist leader – he famously wept with the victims of the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008 when he met with families, standing on the rubble.
While seen as “a man of the people” by many Chinese and often referred to as “Grandpa Wen”, the former Premier has faced some recent criticism for his handling of the economy, particularly following the financial crisis when China unveiled a massive 4 trillion Yuan ($ 643 billion) stimulus package which some analysts said exacerbated severe imbalances in the economy, even if it prevented a major downturn. Mr. Wen has defended his economic policies in recent speeches, pointing out that China’s decisive response avoided job losses and allowed the country to weather the financial crisis.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Mars' entry into Aries earlier this week on March 11 has been like a kick-start for your motivation. Now Mercury is preparing to shift from its three weeks of backward movement into direct motion, so it should be easier to move ahead on projects that have stalled, especially due to lack of information. As Mars inches closer to Uranus over the next six days, you may feel more restless and impulsive, so give yourself space if you need it.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You may have had to revisit a long-range plan or goal over the last three weeks, putting it on hold or ironing out a few wrinkles. As Mercury begins to move in forward direction tomorrow, you should be able to get the information you've needed and breathe a sigh of relief. Utilize the knowledge of people you know if you need insight or advice on taking practical steps forward in a goal, although don't feel you need to take every piece of their advice.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Mercury's backward trek over the past three weeks has brought to light any communication or technology problems and taken care of them. However, it may have also brought delays and side tracks, especially at work or in your attempts to move forward with career plans. Now, as Mercury prepares to move forward tomorrow, streamline your schedule, send out those communications, and set those meetings confidently. With Jupiter's help, you'll soon find yourself up to your ears in more information than you ever wished for!
Cancer June 21 to July 22
You may have been rethinking and reconsidering ideas that you originally felt confident in but recently began to question. As Mercury prepares to go forward after three weeks of backward motion, the time will be ripe to come to decisive conclusions. Even if you're still unsettled about what seems most right to you, don't allow it to leave you in chronic indecision. Mars' entry into Aries on March 11 is pushing you to act on something and move forward with confidence.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You've been entertaining private and deep thoughts as Mercury has traveled backward through Pisces over the last three weeks. Consequently you have needed space and time to yourself to work them out. As Mercury prepares to change direction tomorrow and start moving forward again, you may be able to get the peace of mind or clarity to move forward in your own thought processes. You'll be satisfied with your conclusions enough to know where you stand and act on your ideas.
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Banning gold imports against national interest, says Rajan
Chief economic adviser bats for opening up defence sector to FDI
India’s chief economic advisor Raghuram Rajan on Thursday said he was against banning gold imports to curb surging demand and felt there was strong case for opening up defence sector to foreign direct investment in the interest of “economic and national security.”
“In general, banning is a harsh policy… banning gold (imports) will go against desires of citizen… The fact that demand for gold has picked up shows we are not doing something right elsewhere,” he told reporters.
Stressing there was need for further liberalisation of India’s FDI policy, Rajan said defence is one such area that has remained untouched and needed to be considered for opening up.
Rajan said it is beneficial to manufacture defence equipment with a foreign partner in the country, rather than import them. This was also in the interest of economic and national security.
He, however, said a negative list of sectors for foreign direct investment was “warranted” to protect the domestic industry. But in many other areas, sectoral caps can be removed, as being a mature economy concerns can be taken care of through competition commission.
Elaborating on gold, Rajan said there is variety of reasons for surging gold demand in the country. The two big factors are inflation and lack of alternative instruments for investment.
India’s gold imports touched $58 billion in 2011-12, and up to December in this fiscal year, the imports were $38 billion. This had contributed greatly to the widening current account deficit, which was as high as 5.4 per cent of GDP in December quarter.
One alternative instrument was investment in equity, which had done well in the past few months, he said, adding in the longer term equity market is a good protection against inflation. They had not done well in the last few years and this was one of the reasons for surging gold demand.
Rajan was against the idea of gold bonds to check the import of the yellow metal. The reason being that the issue of gold bonds would have to hedge by buying gold to prevent loss at the time of redemption. This meant that gold bonds would no way reduce gold purchase and on the contrary it may increase.
The other worry is, if gold linked instruments become very attractive then it would bring in people, who were otherwise not interested in purchase of gold, thereby pushing up demand further.
Gold ETF is a similar structure, he said adding the government has now allowed the ETFs to sell gold to jewellery manufacturers. The purpose is that this would ensure that gold kept in vault would be put to use so that jewellers, who would otherwise import gold, could be curbed to an extent, thereby lowering imports.
Rajan said inflation indexed bonds proposed in the budget was yet another option for curbing gold demand. The inflation-indexed bonds did not work earlier in the country, because it was not fully indexed and secondly it was not marketed properly.
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Avoid these foods to avoid constipation
Constipation is an uncomfortable condition. Previously, we covered the foods that you must eat on a regular basis to tackle constipation.
On the other side of the healthy-unhealthy food spectrum, there are also some popular foods that you should avoid if you want to stay away from constipation. We give you 5 foods to exclude from your diet.
Processed food: Whether it is frozen foods or burgers and pizzas, it is going to make your mornings hard to get through, literally. When food is preserved and ready to eat, vital nutrients are drained out, plus the ingredients used are cheap. For example, all purpose flour or maida is used practically in all pizzas, breads and instant noodles.
Bottomline: Processed food has less fiber hence they linger in your system causing discomfort.
Bakery goodies: Nankhatais, kharis and tea biscuits are rich in sugar and fat. They may go well with tea and coffee, but lack fiber. But there's a solution to these good old treats, increase your fiber intake, and balance it out.
Bottomline: Sugar may go straight to your thigh, but it can also be the cause of constipation.
Red Meat without supplementing meals with vegetables: If you consume pork or beef regularly, without veggies on the side, you may have already experienced constipation. Make it a habit to accompany this precious chunk of meat with salad, cooked vegetables, and whole grain cereal; something that is rich in fiber.
Bottomline: Guess how long it takes to digest meat? No, you're wrong, it takes 90 hours to partially digest meat.
Caffeine: So no one can give up coffee, black tea and colas. They give you the much needed buzz to start your day and keep you going through strenuous meetings, commutes, and just about everything else. Unhealthy dependency aside, caffeine dehydrates the human body and dehydration is one of the main causes of constipation.
Bottomline: If you're addicted to caffeine, it's better to cut down and supplement it with food rich in fiber.
Oily food: Chips and fast foods are tempting, even for those who are determined to eat healthy. But the more oily and salty your food is, the higher your chances of developing some digestive health issues as you cross over from your 20s to the 30s. Foods that are deep fried and soaked in oil like French fries slows down the digestive process.
Bottomline: Fight your cravings and every time you feel tempted to order a round of French fries make sure you drink enough water and eat enough veggies before or after.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
If you have a sensitive or complicated topic to bring up with a significant other, Mercury supports an empathetic approach to conversation as it begins moving forward in Pisces tomorrow. Choose your words thoughtfully; if you want to bond more deeply with this person, don't just be pleasant, also be honest. Mars traveling through Aries encourages a focus on your own desires in addition to considering any necessary compromises with your partner. You may feel more stubborn about compromise as Mars gets closer to Uranus, so addressing tender topics before the end of next week is best for optimum timing.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
With Mars traveling through your opposite sign of Aries since March 11, you may find that your natural interpersonal skills are getting a workout. Use those talents to soothe ruffled feathers or calm a frustrated partner today, if need be. Mercury prepares to move forward after three weeks of backward motion, so communication (especially at work) may be able to go more smoothly from here. As Mars moves closer to Uranus over the next week, tempers may become quicker all around you, so you may be called on to be the patient one!
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 You may have enjoyed a period of creativity and imaginative thinking with Mercury spending the last three weeks moving backward and drawing your attention inward. As Mercury prepares to move forward, it's a better time to communicate and act on ideas that came to you during this time (if you haven't already!) As Mars moves closer to Uranus until March 22, you may become increasingly restless. Work it out at work or with exercise, but be careful as you might be slightly more accident prone.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
As a Sagittarius, adventure naturally calls to you and spontaneity is your middle name. With Mars moving through Aries in your sector of creative play, you'll be eager to take a vacation or just put what responsibilities you can on hold and let yourself break out. This feeling of restlessness will be growing until March 22 when Mars and Uranus team up. You may find it in your best interest to carve out space to engage in a favorite active hobby or even a short trip so you don't get cabin fever!
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 Mercury prepares to move forward again tomorrow. Since Mars has now been in Aries for almost a week, it may finally feel like it's full steam ahead. You should be able to make rapid progress now with anything you've been waiting on, especially if you have any meetings planned where clear communication is important or delicate. If social plans are not on today's agenda, you may be inclined to focus your attention at home. Keep active with home projects or play time with your family for a fulfilling day.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 If focusing on a financial plan is on your to-do list, Mercury's got your back after tomorrow when it begins moving forward again. Revisiting an existing budget or financial project can prove fruitful. You may find that previous kinks have worked themselves out or that a better idea for dealing with those kinks can now rise to the surface. Your readiness to act has increased since Mars entered Aries on March 11, so put your plans in motion.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You may be able to express your thoughts and your feelings more directly as Mercury gets ready to move in direct motion again after three weeks. If you've been uncertain about where you stand on a personal matter, the confusion may begin to dissipate now. Use your intuition to sift through your thoughts and see what naturally rises to the surface of your mind. Mars has you ready to invest in and act on what you want, and any actions you take will gain momentum by month's end.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”
A teacher asked her class for sentences using the word "beans"..
"My father grows beans," said one student.
"My father cooks beans," said another.
Then a Little Santa spoke up: "We are all human beans."
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UPSC: Ex-UGC chief says no particular language stressed upon
NEW DELHI: Amid criticism of new UPSC rules making English compulsory in civil services exam, a top academician, who headed the panel set up to recommend changes, said it had not emphasised on any particular language but only sought to judge a candidate's communication ability. "The committee suggested an examination pattern which shall judge a candidate's ability to communicate effectively, be it in any language," former UGC chairman Arun S Nigavekar told PTI, adding the issue of language was not in the committee's "terms of reference".
He declined to comment on whether the inclusion of English in the civil services mains exam was part of his committee's recommendations. The committee underlined qualities a 21st century civil servant should possess to deal with the multi-dimensional challenges of the present-day world, Nigavekar said.
"In our recommendations, we gave a broader and generic outline of the same," he said. Noting that role of a civil servant is becoming more and more demanding and a prospective bureaucrat will now be introduced to comparatively more challenging work environment, the committee suggested a pattern where more than knowledge of the candidate, his ability to convert it at the operative level is tested. As per the changes effective from this year, a 100 marks paper of English comprehension and precis will replace English and Indian language papers which were qualifying in nature and their marks were not included while forming the merit list.
The new pattern has sparked protests with chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu -- Shivraj Singh Chouhan and J Jayalalitha -- expressing dissent over it and seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention. In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt the Commission's exams in the state if its demand to include Marathi in the syllabus was not met. The issue was also raised in Parliament.
"A civil servant shall not only identify the problems of his area, he should also be able to effectively communicate the same to his higher authorities, so that a solution can be found," Nigavekar said over phone from Pune on the panel's recommendations. When asked whether the new pattern will virtually block the entry of aspirants who have obtained education in Indian languages, he said recommendations were made keeping in mind the existing structure of country's education and no "expertise" over any particular subject was stressed upon. Noting that English is a global language required for effective multi-level communication, Nigavekar observed that some changes become imperative towards working in a global environment.
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Chelsea lead English trio into Europa last eight
LONDON: Chelsea led a trio of English clubs into the Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday after Tottenham Hotspur survived a thrilling Inter Milan fightback to advance on away goals and Newcastle United got a late winner. Goals from Juan Mata, John Terry and Fernando Torres, who also missed a penalty, put European champions Chelsea through 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate after visiting Steaua Bucharest's Vlad Chiriches equalised on the stroke of halftime.
Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor pounced in extra time to score a vital away goal in their 4-1 second-leg defeat at the San Siro as they scraped past three-times European champions Inter after the nail-biting tie ended 4-4 on aggregate. Newcastle United joined their Premier League rivals when Papiss Cisse headed the winning goal against big-spending Anzhi Mackhachkala with the last action of the game to take them through 1-0 after a goalless first leg.
Another wealthy Russian side, 2008 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg, also went out to Basel 2-1 on aggregate despite a 1-0 win on the night after they had a late penalty saved against the Swiss team, who played the second half with 10 men. Rubin Kazan fared better than their compatriots as they saw off Levante 2-0 in extra time to end Spanish interest in this season's competition. Lazio's Libor Kozak scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart for a 5-1 aggregate victory as they kept Italian hopes alive with a place in Friday's quarter-final draw. Fenerbahce drew 1-1 with Viktoria Plzen to go through 2-1 on aggregate after a narrow first-leg victory in the Czech Republic and former Europan champions Benfica are also in the last eight thanks to a 3-2 win at Bordeaux for a 4-2 aggregate success.
But it was Inter's stirring comeback, spoiled by lacklustre Tottenham's vital away goal, and Chelsea's second-half display to see off spirited former European champions Steaua that lit up a fascinating night of Europa League action. Spain striker Torres led the way for Chelsea in a rousing second half by scoring a sublime goal, his second in 19 games, and then having to deal with a bloody nose before playing on and striking a late penalty against the bar.
The way Torres and his team mates battled was typical of Chelsea at present said keeper Petr Cech in the wake of their recovery in an FA Cup sixth round tie at Manchester United. "We are at the stage where every game is a final," Cech told ITV. "When it went to 1-1 (against Steaua) we had to score twice but at the weekend we managed to get (back from) a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford so we believed we would get the goals.
"Fernando was working hard and he took his chance well. It's a pity the penalty didn't go in for him but we scored the three goals we needed and we're through."
Tottenham were lucky to continue their European quest after they let Inter come back at them following in-form Gareth Bale's masterclass in the first leg when he scored in a 3-0 win.
EASY WAY
"We don't do it the easy way... well done lads," Bale, who was suspended for the Italian trip, wrote on Twitter after Spurs secured a last eight berth by the skin of their teeth. Inter went into the match after being outplayed in last week's first leg in London but strikes from Antonio Cassano, Rodrigo Palacio and a William Gallas own goal brought them level on aggregate against a shell-shocked Tottenham side.
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Rangrezz
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Rangrezz
Movie Name : Rangrezz
Release Date : March 21, 2013
Genre : Feature film
Producer : Vashu Bhagnani
Director : Priyadarshan
Music Director : Shantanu Moitra
Cast : Jackky Bhagnani, Priya Anand, Rajpal Yadav.
Synopsis:
Rangrezz is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Priyadarshan starring Jackky Bhagnani, Priya Anand, Rajpal Yadav and Amitosh Nagpal in the lead roles. Rangrezz is a Hindi remake of Tamil hit film Naadodigal, which has already been remade in Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
After a gap of over fifteen years filmmaker Priyadarshan and Santosh Sivan have come together for this film. The film is produced by Vashu Bhagnani and releases on March 21, 2013.
Rangrezz movie were doing something special for release their music.Rangrezz movie Crew planning to have the music launch of their film in Dharavi.Rangrezz music will be special in also their music.
3 songs are composed by Sajid-Wajid. South Indian composer, Sundar C Babu (who composed for the original Tamil film) makes his debut in Hindi with 2 songs.
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the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
The Wet Pants
There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.
He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it..
When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives. The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency!
I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.” He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out.
All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful.
But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Moral: All of us go through all good and bad things in life. We should always remember how we felt when we were in same condition and should not mock others for being in it.
Always try to understand their situation as if you are in it and help much as possible praying to god that today you are in a condition to help someone who needs it.
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At one point in your life you either have the thing you want or the reasons why you don't.
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